


Observant

by LoganLight



Series: Adrien August [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien AUG-reste, Adrien Agreste Is Sunshine, Adrien Aug-rest 2019, Drabble, Drabble Sequence, Fluff, Gen, I'm Bad At Summaries, Light Angst, Oblivious Adrien Agreste, Oblivious Marinette Dupain-Cheng, just a little bit, not a lot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-06-26 18:00:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19773496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoganLight/pseuds/LoganLight
Summary: Adrien isn't the only lovable oblivious idiot in Paris.His classmates certainly give him a run for his money.





	Observant

**Author's Note:**

> I took all the prompts for the first week of Adrien AUG-reste and shoved them together to see what happened.
> 
> The title can be taken as ironically as you want.
> 
> Basically, this is just a bunch of loosely connected drabbles.

Adrien Agreste was not the most observant person. He could admit that... To himself at least. Plagg would never stop teasing him, so telling the kwami was out.

Ironically, Adrien was actually pretty good at telling when _other_ people were in love... It was just hard when it had to do with _him_. The thing was, Adrien thought he was doing pretty well. Compared to his classmates, at least. 

No one noticed when Nino had a crush on Marinette. Even Alya was clueless about it and she's usually so observant. It was strange how his usually-laid-back best friend got so nervous he couldn't speak. But then, Adrien knew something about how that felt.

There was Ivan's crush on Mylene. Adrien had only heard it second hand, but apparently the first person to notice was _Kim_ of all people! _Kim!_ That was amazing when he couldn't even tell Ondine was crushing on him.

_You're one to talk,_ whispered a voice in the back of his head. Adrien resolutely ignored this.

He didn't count Nathaniel's crush on Marinette 'cause the artist rarely talked to anyone back then.

Then there was Ladybug. Adrien thought that Chat Noir was perfectly transparent in his affection for her, but apparently not. She hadn't realized his feelings for her were genuine until she saw the picnic he'd prepared.

True, he could be over the top as Chat. Had his flirting really come across as _just_ playing? Adrien teased Ladybug all the time but... Every compliment, every time he'd told her how happy he was to see her... He'd meant every word.

Speaking of his crush on Ladybug...

_"You must be a big fan of Ladybug."_

_"It's so sweet, the way you talk about her! Like she's a close friend!"_

_"Seriously dude, I'd say you're Ladybug's number one fan if Alya and Chloe didn't beat you on shear crazy."_

The blushing, the dreamy sighs, the staring off into space, the stuttering he sometimes did when someone mentioned his Lady. It was a wonder everyone didn't know about his crush. Adrien hadn't exactly been hiding it.

Case in point:

_"Dude! Check out this pic Alya snagged during the last akuma attack!" Nino held up his phone to Adrien._

_"Ladybug?" Adrien asked eagerly, taking the phone from Nino to see better._

_Yup, it was her. And in a particularly good pose too. The light bringing out the color of her eyes. The determined set of her jaw. The smile that said:_ You've already lost. You just don't know it. _Adrien stopped himself from swooning through shear force of will._

_"If you want, I can send you the rest of them?" Alya offered, seamingly reading his mind. Marinette stood a bit nervously by her side._

_"Yeah! I mean, yes please." Adrien wondered if there were any good ones of Ladybug using her Lucky Charm._

_"You really like Ladybug, huh?" Marinette asked._

_"Who doesn't? She's so brave and intelligent and kind! I feel lucky just to know her! Uh, have met her. When she was saving me." He really needed to stop gushing so much._

_Marinette's eyes sparkled as he spoke. "I didn't know you felt that way about her! I'm sure she'd be happy to hear how much you admire her."_

_Adrien rubbed the back of his head. "Right. Admire."_

_"That's nothing dude-ette! Last time he went on about how-"_

_"Nino!" Adrien tackle-hugged his best friend before he could spill that particular gush-fest. Nino was powerless against Adrien's tackle-hugs._

_Marinette giggled at his panicked expression. His dramatic reaction setting her at ease._

_"Well, I'm just glad someone appreciates my work. These two don't seem to understand," Alya lamented as she sent the rest of the photos to Adrien._

_Adrien gasped in mock horror and commiserated with Alya about their shared hardships. Taking advantage of the situation to tease Marinette and Nino about not admiring Ladybug as much as they should._

Adrien smiled at the memory. Nino was indignant at the insinuation that he had anything less than the utmost respect for Ladybug. Marinette simply blushed and agreed with whatever Nino was saying.

... Maybe his crush wasn't as obvious as he thought. With how much everyone adored Ladybug.

_"I wonder what kind of hamster Ladybug would like as a present?" Adrien thought out loud._

_"I'm sure she'd like anything from you!" Marinette responded happily._

Nope. He was definitely as obvious as possible.

Adrien set it out of his mind. Deciding to be grateful that nobody could tell he was head over heels for a superhero.

* * *

Adrien smiled sheepishly at Marinette. Rubbing his nose to stave off another sneeze. "That's what I get for getting too close to M. Pigeon."

Marinette giggled at his expression; she'd become much more comfortable around him lately. "Then how come you stuck around?" She gestured at the mostly empty park they were in.

That was an excellent question. He couldn't tell her that he'd been helping Ladybug. Fortunately, Adrien already had the perfect excuse. It was just true enough to be believable.

"Ah, see," Adrien leaned in as though about to divulge a great secret. "I may be a little bit... jealous."

Marinette stared at him incredulously. "You. Jealous. Of _M. Pigeon?_ "

Adrien grinned, happy that she'd gotten it in one. "I've always wanted to control pigeons!"

Momentary confusion covered Marinette's features before she shook her head to clear it. "Adrien, you're allergic," she said as though he might have forgotten in the past ten seconds.

Adrien assumed a distraught position, holding his hand against his head and stretching his other arm out. "Alas, 'tis true! I'll never be able to fullfil my heartfelt desire!"

Marinette rolled her eyes but she was smiling. Adrien counted that as a win.

"You're such a dork, Adrien Agreste."

Now it was Adrien's turn to stare.

Marinette's eyes widened as her brain caught up to what she said. "I-I-I mean... That is..."

Adrien's grin returned in full force. "Oh? A _dork_ am I?"

Marinette buried her face in her hands. "Can we pretend I didn't say that?" she asked, muffled.

Adrien tapped his chin. "I don't know, Marinette. No one's ever called me a dork before. And you know how much I value new experiences."

"That's not how that works!" Marinette exclaimed, pulling her hands away from her face to give him a look.

Adrien opened his mouth to respond. "AH- _choo!_ " He groaned.

Forgetting his teasing for the moment Marinette's look changed to one of sympathy. "You okay?"

"I think I'll live," Adrien answered. "It's too soon to say."

"You're lucky you weren't in the middle of this akuma attack." Marinette handed him a handkerchief which he gladly accepted. "Chat Noir's always sneezing when they fight M. Pigeon. I don't know how he puts up with it. Sometimes I wonder why he doesn't just let Ladybug handle it herself."

"Chat Noir would never do that!" Adrien exclaimed.

Marinette started at the conviction in his voice, eyes widening.

"Ladybug counts on him! Chat Noir would never miss a battle if he can help it! They're _partners._ That..." Adrien blushed as he realized what he was doing. "That means a lot to them," he finished softly, looking away.

Marinette smiled at him. "You're right. Ladybug and Chat Noir are always looking out for each other. That's just how they are... Want to see some of the sketches I drew before Papillon interrupted?"

Adrien was grateful for the change in topic and agreed.

He complimented Marinette's designs which turned her a lovely shade of pink. Despite her talent she was still self-conscious about showing people her unfinished work. Adrien was touched she showed him.

As they talked Adrien thought about how much he admired Marinette. Her kindness and compassion. The bravery she showed in standing up for what she believed in. Smart, too. Marinette was amazing. _Just like Ladybug._

Adrien jolted. 

Marinette continued with her inspiration for a certain coat as they walked to her parents bakery. So, she hadn't noticed.

Those thoughts plagued him more and more frequently. How much Marinette reminded him of Ladybug. Especially, after Heroes' Day. They were so similar, it'd be easy to-

Adrien shook his head. _No._ He'd tried that with Kagami and it'd ended terribly! He wouldn't make the same mistake with Marinette. Wouldn't use her as a replacement Ladybug.

They reached the front entrance and said their good-byes. Marinette's smile making his face burn.

As much as he cared for Marinette he couldn't give her his whole heart. Adrien wouldn't let himself dwell on it. 

Marinette was just a friend.

* * *

Adrien walked as quickly as possible while carrying the precious cardboard box. The contents were fragile and easily startled. They hadn't stopped meowing.

Spotting his best friend Adrien rushed towards him. "Nino!"

"Hey, dude. Watcha got ther- You okay, bro?" Nino steadied Adrien as he peered into the box.

Three kittens stared up at him. Their little meows finally registering.

"... Okay?" Nino gave him a questioning look. "Why do you have those?"

Adrien caught his breath before looking at Nino with big sorrowful eyes. "I found them in an alley. They were hungry and scared. Someone just _abandoned_ them!"

Nino's brow furrowed. "Uncool. Don't worry, bro. I know a no-kill shelter that-"

"No!" Adrien pulled the box away from Nino as though he'd attempt to take it away. Not quite resisting the urge to hiss. "I-I found them. I'll take care of them."

Nino gave Adrien that look he used when he thought Adrien wasn't thinking something through. "Dude, I think it's great you wanna do that. But have you ever had a pet? And what about your old man? What happens when he finds out you brought in strays?"

"He'd have to pay attention to me first," Adrien muttered softly. "Besides! I'm an expert in cats!"

Nino sighed and shrugged his arms in defeat. "Well, since you've got your hands full I'll look up how to take care of newborn kittens."

Adrien smiled. "They're not newborns."

"Huh?"

"Their eyes are open; they're at least a week old."

"Right. 'Cause that's totally different."

Adrien grinned as he gazed at his new charges. They were still hungry but not as scared. Two were different shades of grey but the loudest was black. Adrien liked to think they recognized him as one of their own.

_I'll take care of you._ Adrien promised as he stared into their green eyes.

* * *

"Can you fix it?" Adrien wouldn't be able to forgive himself if she couldn't.

Between them was his lucky charm. The one she'd given him as a gift. It was in pieces.

Marinette stared at it with wide eyes and Adrien drooped. "Wh-what happened?"

Adrien rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Ah, see, I left it on the table and one of the kittens started playing with the string and..." He gestured helplessly at the lucky charm.

"This is a disaster," Marinette lamented as she examined the charm's pieces.

"Disaster? More like _Cat_ -astrophe." Adrien muttered.

Marinette paused. "... Was that a pun?"

Adrien blushed softly for a reason he couldn't quite place. "Um, yes? It's what I named the black kitten."

"... You named him Catastrophe?"

"Well, he's the most rambunctious of the three."

"Why am I not surprised."

"The girls' are Purrincess and Cleocatra," Adrien confessed. The look she gave him reminded him of his Lady.

"Are they as troublesome as their brother?"

"Only when they want something."

Marinette chuckled in amusement. "Is it okay for them to be roaming around? Nino said they were about a week old and I remember kittens that age need constant warmth. Or something."

Adrien nodded. "Yeah, but they're older than they look so they're good. And I raised the temperature in my room, just in case."

Good thing, too. Otherwise he'd never be able to resist his urge to cuddle them incessantly. Weather that was a Chat-Noir-thing or just an Adrien-thing he wasn't sure.

"That's good to hear." Marinette refocused on the charm. "Okay, it should be simple to just replace the string..."

Adrien noticed her face fall. "What is it?" he asked.

"It's not much of a lucky charm if it falls apart at the first black cat it comes across, is it?"

Adrien smiled softly. "I wouldn't say that," he disagreed. "Gave me an excuse to visit you didn't it?" _W_ _hy did I say it like that!?_ Adrien kept his smile firmly in place while mentally kicking himself.

Marinette blushed lightly as she returned his smile. "I guess so." She gathered the material she needed and got to work.

Adrien watched her in fascination. Now that their initial emotional reaction had subsided he could see that it _was_ a simple fix.

Marinette eyed him as she worked. "How did you manage to make Nathalie agree not to say anything to your father?"

"Blackmail," Adrien said simply.

Marinette was so surprised she almost knocked the charm pieces to the floor. "Wait, what?"

"Turns out there's lots of stuff she doesn't want father to know."

"... Like what?"

"Well, if I told you it would violate the whole 'blackmail' thing, wouldn't it?"

"Guess so," Marinette agreed reluctantly. "You have quite the hidden mischievous side."

Adrien gave her a more genuine smile. "And you're a master of sass when you're not nervous."

They fell into easy banter as Marinette repaired his lucky charm. Adrien was content with the repairs. After all, this time around it was like she'd made it specifically for him.

* * *

Plagg yawned as he woke to a bright morning. Sunlight streaming through the windows he'd always thought too big.

Adrien's soft purring drew Plagg's attention. He paused at the sight of the still sleeping boy who laid sprawled faceup. The kittens had taken to curling up next to him; mostly around his shoulders. Sunlight reflected off Adrien's messy hair and highlighted the red in his Ladybug-print pajamas.

He'd complain about the intruders but they didn't touch his precious Camembert and left him alone... Once Adrien explained Plagg was _not_ a toy.

Adrien's connection with the kittens was strong. All three of them accepted his kid as theirs. It'd been a while since Plagg's holder had familiars. Things were sure to get interesting.

Plagg wasn't really surprised nobody realized Adrien was Chat Noir. Despite acting like a mother cat around "his kittens". Even if it brought out other behaviors Adrien didn't have before.

_Adrien studied the cardboard box the kittens had come in. It was a bit big for just three kittens. Their scent still wafted from it._

_Carefully, Adrien stepped in._

_"Uh, bro? What're you doing?"_

_Adrien's head snapped up and he blinked at Nino. As though he hadn't realized the other boy was there._

_Shaking his head Adrien stepped out of the box. "Nothing. Just thought... Nothing. Come on. We have to get more formula for the kittens... And name them so their not just 'the kittens'."_

_Nino gave his best friend an odd look but didn't press._

_"It's too small anyway," Adrien muttered._

Plagg chuckled at the memory. Taking a second glance at Adrien's Chat-like hair an idea popped into his head. He grinned.

Maneuvering Adrien's phone wasn't hard. He'd done it plenty of times. Hovering over the sleeping cats he took a picture.

After thinking for a bit Plagg posted it on Adrien's Instagram with the tag #catnap.

He resisted the urge to cackle at how Tikki's girl would react at that candid shot. Once that was done he focused on the truly important thing... Breakfast.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I did steal the names of the two gray cats. *Shrugs* ... Alright fine! [From the Ashes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14776922/chapters/34176086) by [MiniMinou](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniMinou/pseuds/MiniMinou) There!
> 
> So, I've discovered that I can't write fluff properly. That's good to know. Or rather, I need a plot to anchor my fluff to. It's not as concise as I wanted it to be. And I could've added more of the kittens themselves. *Sigh* But! I'm done now so that's that.
> 
> Yes, Adrien acts much more Chat-like around his friends now. No, none of them realize he's Chat Noir. Why? Because they're _all_ oblivious idiots.


End file.
